Collapsible safety helmet

ABSTRACT

A safety helmet includes an outer collapsible shell that collapses toward an inner shell when an impact force is received, and does not return toward its initial (pre-collapsed) state when the impact force is removed. The safety helmet provides improved protection against injuries.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of each of: U.S. Provisional PatentApplication Ser. No. 62/087,877, filed on 5 Dec. 2014, and U.S.Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/143,328, filed on 6 Apr.2015. The co-pending Provisional Applications are hereby incorporated byreference herein in their entirety and are made a part hereof, includingbut not limited to those portions which specifically appear hereinafter.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention is directed to a collapsible safety helmet that can beused in sports, motorcycling, construction and other hard hatactivities.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Various helmet designs are known for improved safety and warning ofpossible concussions resulting from an impact. A SpeedFlex™ helmet,available from Riddell, incorporates a flexible shell that works inconjunction with padding inside the shell to help absorb impacts to thehead of a wearer. This helmet is designed for football players to reducethe incidence of concussions and brain injury. Another football helmet,the Xenith X2™, available from T+B Sports, collapses upon impact byreleasing air through small vent openings, and then immediately returnsto its normal shape. Both helmets include a flexible shell that recoversto its original pre-collapsed configuration.

A Shockbox sensor available from Impakt Protective can be installed on ahelmet and can detect the forces of impacts and send correspondingwarning signals to a monitor. A sensor system called the In Site™ ImpactResponse System, available form Riddell, performs a similar function.These and other sensor systems detect the force of impacts and sendappropriate signals, but do not reduce the incidence of brain injury.

The presently available collapsible safety helmets have a disadvantagein that the resilient materials quickly return to their normal shape,causing unnecessary shaking of the brain inside the skull. While thesehelmets reduce the incidence of injury, more is needed to reduce theincidence and severity of brain injuries within the skull.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to an improved safety helmet for usein sports, motorcycling, construction, and other hard hat activitiesrequiring safety gear. The helmet is designed to reduce the transfer ofimpact forces to the user, and thus reducing the potential for injuries.

The helmet of the invention includes an outer collapsible shell havingan initial configuration for receiving an impact force, an inner shellconfigured to receive a head of a wearer, and a space between the innershell and the outer collapsible shell. The outer collapsible shell isformed of a permanently collapsible material such that, upon receivingan impact force, at least a portion of the outer shell collapses by adistance toward the inner shell through the space, and does not returnto the initial configuration when the impact force is removed.

By using a permanently collapsible outer shell (i.e., an outer shellformed of permanently collapsible material), the damage caused by theimpact force is largely borne by the helmet, thus reducing the potentialfor injury to the wearer. By avoiding the use of a resilient materialthat snaps back to its original shape following impact, the helmet seeksto further reduce trauma.

With the foregoing in mind, it is a feature and advantage of theinvention to provide an improved safety helmet that provides greaterprotection against impact and/or injury than conventional safetyhelmets.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a top view of a safety helmet of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the safety helmet, shown on a wearer.

FIG. 3 is a back view of the safety helmet of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the safety helmet, taken along line 4-4 inFIG. 1.

FIG. 5 shows the safety helmet of FIG. 4, with the outer collapsibleshell collapsed in a side region.

FIG. 6 shows the safety helmet of FIG. 4, with the outer collapsibleshell collapsed in a crown region.

FIG. 7 is a top view of another embodiment of the safety helmet, withthe outer collapsible shell removed.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view of the safety helmet, taken along the line8-8 in FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a back view of the safety helmet of FIG. 7.

FIG. 10 schematically illustrates an embodiment of the invention inwhich a plurality of safety helmets is in electronic communication witha remote monitoring booth.

FIG. 11 is a sectional view of one embodiment of the safety helmet inwhich the space between the outer collapsible shell and the inner shellis wider in the crown region than in the two side regions.

FIG. 12 is a sectional view of one embodiment of the safety helmet inwhich the thickness of the outer collapsible shell is larger in thecrown region than in the two side regions of the helmet.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In FIGS. 1-3, a safety helmet 10 includes a front region 12, a rearregion 14, a crown region 16, and two side regions 18 and 20. As shownin FIGS. 4-6, each of the regions 12, 14, 16, 18 and 20 of the safetyhelmet 10 is defined by an outer collapsible shell 22 for receiving animpact force, an inner shell 24 configured to receive a wearer's head 26(FIG. 2), a space 28 between the inner shell 24 and the outercollapsible shell 22, and a padding layer 30 in the space 28 that issuitably a foam material. The helmet 10 can also include a face mask 32for protecting the wearer's face, depending on the desired use of thehelmet. Sensors 34 can be provided in each of the regions 12, 14, 16, 18and 20 for detecting an amount of collapse of the outer shell 22resulting from an impact, and for sending a corresponding signal to amonitor (not shown).

The outer shell 22 of the helmet 10 is permanently collapsible, meaningthat it collapses toward the inner shell 24 through the space 28 uponreceiving an impact force, but does not return to its initial(pre-collapse) configuration when the impact force is removed. The outercollapsible shell 22 can be formed of an inelastic collapsible polymer,a collapsible metallic foil, or another permanently collapsible materialthat is sturdy enough to absorb a potentially injurious impact force andflexible enough to collapse (bend) in response to the force. Suitableinelastic polymers include without limitation polypropylene, highdensity polyethylene, polyesters, polyamides, fluoropolymers such aspolytetrafluoroethylene, and combinations thereof. Suitable metallicfoils include without limitation aluminum, tin, and the like. Thethickness of the collapsible outer shell 22 is also an important factorin ensuring that the outer shell 22 is sturdy enough and flexible enoughto protect the wearer from otherwise injurious impact forces.

When an impact force is received, the outer shell 22 collapses into thespace 28 by a collapsing distance that is less than or equal to thedistance between the outer shell 24 and the inner shell 22. When theimpact force is then removed, the outer collapsible shell 22 may recoveronly slightly or none at all. When the impact force is removed, theouter shell 22 should remain collapsed by at least 75% of the collapsingdistance (meaning recovery of no more than 25%), suitably by at least90% of the collapsing distance (meaning recovery of no more than 10%),preferably by about 100% of the collapsing distance (meaning essentiallyno recovery).

The inner shell 24 is suitably formed of a rigid plastic material thatis strong, lightweight, and does not flex or break. Suitable rigidplastic materials include without limitation polycarbonate,polyacrylonitrile and rigid plastic foams formed of rigid polyurethane,rigid acrylic polymers, and other foamable polymers. Alternatively, manyof the polymer materials used to form the collapsible outer shell 22 canbe formed into thick enough layers to serve as the non-collapsible innershell 24.

The padding layer 30 is suitably a soft foam and can be formed offlexible polyurethane, flexible acrylic polymers, cotton foam or anothersoft material. The padding layer 30 should be sufficiently compressibleso as not to hinder the collapsing of the collapsible outer shell 22.The padding layer 30 softens the impact of the collapsible outer shell22 against the inner shell 24 (FIGS. 5 and 6).

The safety helmet 10 can be designed with an outer collapsible shell 22that collapses toward the inner shell 24 upon receiving an impact forcein any one or more of the crown region 16, the front region 12, the rearregion 14 and the side regions 18 and 20. In each case, the collapsibleouter shell 22 does not return to its initial configuration in theregion of impact after the impact force is removed. FIG. 5 illustrates asituation where the outer shell 22 receives an impact force in the rearregion 14 and collapses toward the inner shell 24 in that region, shownby collapsed portion 36. FIG. 6 illustrates a situation where the outershell 22 receives an impact force in the crown region 16 and collapsestoward the inner shell 24 in that region, shown by collapsed portion 38.In either case, the collapse is permanent, i.e. the collapsed portion 36or 38 does not return to the initial, pre-collapsed state when theimpact force is removed.

The sensors 34 (FIGS. 1-3) can be positioned in the outer collapsibleshell 22 in one or more of the regions, suitably in each of the regions12, 14, 16, 18 and 20 of the safety helmet 10. The sensors 34 canmonitor either or both of a) the amount of impact force and b) thecollapsing distance of the collapsible outer shell 22, when an impactforce is received, and can send corresponding signals to a monitor (notshown). The signals can then be analyzed to gauge the severity of theimpact, whether or not immediate medical attention is warranted and, ifso, the type of medical attention that may be needed.

FIGS. 7-9 show an alternative embodiment of the safety helmet 10 inwhich one or more inflated bladders 40, filled with a colored fluid (gasor liquid), are disposed in the space 28 between the collapsible outershell 22 and the inner shell 24. When the outer collapsible shell 22takes an impact and sufficiently collapses, the adjacent bladder 40breaks and releases the colored fluid. The colored fluid passes throughvent openings 42 (FIG. 9) in the outer shell 22 and may cause colorationof the outer surface 46 of the outer shell 22 in the vicinity of thevent openings 42 through which the colored fluid escapes.

The one or more bladders 40 can be formed of any breakable plasticmaterial that is strong enough to contain the fluid and withstand normaluse, but weak enough to break when the outer collapsible shell 22 isdriven into a collapsed position by a predetermined impact force.Suitable materials include without limitation polypropylene,polyethylenes, polyurethane, polyisoprene, polybutadiene, and the like.In one embodiment, the fluid can be a colored dye that imparts aluminescent color to the affected portions of outer surface 46. Thecolored dye can be green, red, blue, or any distinctive color. Thenumber and positioning of bladders 40 should be selected so that thebladder not only breaks when a predetermined impact force is received bythe outer collapsible shell 16, but also signals the location of thebreak. If the number of bladders 40 is too small and their size iscorrespondingly large, then the bladders 40 will be difficult to breakbecause the fluid will redistribute in the bladder when an impact forceis received. If the number of bladders 40 is too large, and their sizeis correspondingly small, then too little fluid may be emitted to causesufficient visual signaling when the bladder breaks. Suitably, thenumber of bladders 40 in the space 28 can be about 4 to about 20, orabout 5 to about 15.

In another embodiment, the breaking of a bladder 40, and/or thesufficient collapsing of outer collapsible shell 22, will trigger theillumination of one or more lights 44 on the outer surface 46 of theouter collapsible shell 22, either in the region of impact or over alarger area. In this embodiment, the bladders 40 may or may not befilled with the colored fluid. The lights 44 can be illuminated bycircuitry within the bladders 40 that is activated by the breaking ofone or more bladders 40. Alternatively, the lights 44 can be illuminatedby circuitry in or on the outer collapsible shell 16 that is activatedby sufficient collapsing of the outer shell 22. Alternatively, thelights 44 can be activated by impact sensors 48 on or in the outercollapsible shell 22 that detect an impact force of a sufficientpredetermined magnitude. In the embodiment of FIG. 8, impact sensors 48are positioned on the inner shell 24 and would detect an impact force ofsufficient magnitude to collapse the outer shell 22 to the inner shell24. Suitably, the lights 44 are LED lights and can be strobe lights.Other types of lights can also be used.

In another embodiment, shown in FIG. 10, the information from thebreaking of one or more bladders 40, and/or the collapsing of the outershell 22 to the inner shell 24, can be transmitted from any one or moreof a plurality of helmets 10 to a remove booth 50. The booth 50 canserve as a central location for monitoring potentially injury-causingimpacts, and for signaling the need for medical attention. Thus, theinformation generated by the collapsing of the outer shell 22 and/or thebreaking of one or more bladders 40 can cause any one or more of a) thegeneration of colored fluid through vent openings 42, b) theillumination of lights 44, and c) the transmission of a signal to abooth 50. The booth 50 may be located on the sidelines of a footballfield, for example, and can serve as an emergency station for theimmediate treatment of an injury, or the provision of medical help andsupplies to the injured player.

It is also known that certain regions of the head, such as the crownregion, are more prone to impact injuries than others. The collapsiblesafety helmet 10 of the invention can be designed to provide extraprotection in the region(s) of the head that are more prone to injury.In the embodiment of FIG. 11, the space 28 is wider in the crown region16 compared to the side regions 18 and 20 of the helmet 10. Because thedistance between the outer collapsible shell 22 and the inner shell 24is greater in the crown region 16, the outer shell 22 is able tocollapse by a greater amount in response to an impact, before reachingthe inner shell 24. In the embodiment of FIG. 12, the outer collapsibleshell 22 is thicker in the crown region 16 than in the two side regions18 and 20. In both embodiments, the magnitude of the impact forcerequired to collapse the outer shell 22 through the span 28 and to theinner shell 24 will be greater in the crown region 16 than in the sideregions 18 and 20. Corresponding adjustments can also be made to providegreater impact protection in the front and/or rear regions 12 and 14 ofthe safety helmet 10.

While the embodiments of the invention described herein are presentlypreferred, various modifications and improvements can be made withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention. The scope of theinvention is indicated by the appended claims, and all changes that fallwithin the meaning and range of equivalents are intended to be embracedtherein.

I claim:
 1. A safety helmet, comprising: an outer collapsible shellhaving an initial configuration for receiving an impact force; an innershell configured to receive a head of a wearer; and a space between theinner shell and the outer collapsible shell; wherein upon receiving animpact force, at least a portion of the outer shell collapses by adistance toward the inner shell through the space and does not return tothe initial configuration when the impact force is removed.
 2. Thesafety helmet of claim 1, wherein the outer shell remains collapsed byat least 75% of the distance when the impact force is removed.
 3. Thesafety helmet of claim 1, wherein the outer shell remains collapsed byat 90% of the distance when the impact force is removed.
 4. The safetyhelmet of claim 1, wherein the outer shell remains collapsed by about100% of the distance when the impact force is removed.
 5. The safetyhelmet of claim 1, wherein the outer shell comprises an inelasticpolymer.
 6. The safety helmet of claim 5, wherein the inelastic polymeris selected from the group consisting of polypropylene, high densitypolyethylene, polyesters, polyamides, polytetrafluoroethylene, andcombinations thereof.
 7. The safety helmet of claim 1, wherein the outershell comprises a collapsible metallic foil.
 8. The safety helmet ofclaim 1, wherein the inner shell comprises a rigid plastic material. 9.The safety helmet of claim 8, wherein the rigid plastic material isselected from the group consisting of polycarbonate, polyacrylonitrile,rigid plastic foams, and combinations thereof.
 10. The safety helmet ofclaim 1, further comprising a foam layer between the outer collapsibleshell and the inner shell.
 11. The safety helmet of claim 1, wherein thehelmet comprises a front region, a rear region, a crown region, two sideregions and a face mask.
 12. The safety helmet of claim 11, wherein theouter collapsible shell covers the front region, rear region, crownregion and two side regions.
 13. The safety helmet of claim 12, whereinthe space between the inner shell and the outer collapsible shell andthe inner shell is thicker in the crown region than in the two sideregions.
 14. The safety helmet of claim 12, wherein the outercollapsible shell has a thickness that is greater in the crown regionsthan in the two side regions.
 15. The safety helmet of claim 1, furthercomprising vent openings in the outer collapsible shell and one or morebreakable bladders in the space between the inner shell and the outercollapsible shell.
 16. The safety helmet of claim 15, wherein the one ormore breakable bladders contain a colored fluid.
 17. The safety helmetof claim 15, further comprising one or more lights on or in the outercollapsible shell, responsive to a breaking of one or more of thebreakable bladders.
 18. A safety helmet, comprising: a front region, arear region, a crown region and two side regions; an outer collapsibleshell having an initial configuration for receiving an impact force; aninner shell configured to receive a head of a wearer; and a spacebetween the inner shell and the outer collapsible shell; wherein uponreceiving an impact force in the crown region, the outer collapsibleshell collapses toward the inner shell in the crown region and does notreturn to the initial configuration when the impact force is removed.19. The safety helmet of claim 18, wherein upon receiving an impactforce in the front region, the outer collapsible shell collapses towardthe inner shell in the front region and does not return to the initialconfiguration in the front region when the impact force is removed. 20.The safety helmet of claim 18, where upon receiving an impact force inthe rear region, the outer collapsible shell collapses toward the innershell in the rear region and does not return to the initialconfiguration in the rear region when the impact force is removed. 21.The safety helmet of claim 18, wherein upon receiving an impact force ineither side region, the outer collapsible shell collapses toward theinner shell in the side region and does not return to the initialconfiguration in the side region when the impact force is removed. 22.The safety helmet of claim 18, further comprising one or more breakablebladders in the space between the inner shell and the outer collapsibleshell.
 23. The safety helmet of claim 22, further comprising a coloredfluid contained in the one or more breakable bladders.
 24. The safetyhelmet of claim 22, further comprising a plurality of lights responsiveto a breaking of one or more of the breakable bladders.
 25. The safetyhelmet of claim 24, wherein the plurality of lights comprises LEDlights.
 26. The safety helmet of claim 24, wherein the plurality oflights comprises strobe lights.
 27. A safety helmet, comprising: anouter collapsible shell having an initial configuration for receiving animpact force; an inner shell configured to receive a head of a wearer; aspace between the inner shell and the outer collapsible shell; and oneor more sensors for detecting a distance of collapse in the outercollapsible shell and sending a signal corresponding to the distance ofcollapse; wherein upon receiving an impact force, the outer collapsibleshell collapses by the distance toward the inner shell through the spaceand does not return to the initial configuration when the impact forceis removed.
 28. The safety helmet of claim 27, wherein the outercollapsible shell remains collapsed by at least 90% of the distance whenthe impact force is removed.
 29. The safety helmet of claim 27,comprising a plurality of the sensors in different regions of thehelmet.
 30. The safety helmet of claim 27, further comprising a layer ofpadding in the space between the inner shell and the outer collapsibleshell.
 31. The safety helmet of claim 27, wherein the one or moresensors transmits a signal to a remote booth when the outer collapsibleshell receives an impact force.